Dodging the Daily Grind: Q&A with World Explorer Brittany

Dreaming of traveling the world but don’t think it’s realistic? The 20-something-year-old globe-trotting Brittany from Brittany from Boston took some time out of her adventures to chat with Sprangled about how she turned her passion for travel into a reality. Read about her journey below — you’ll be inspired to make travel a bigger part of your life, too.

Sprangled: Where was the first place you traveled to?

Brittany: Paris, in high school and it was every bit as charming as I dreamed it would be! As I walked by the Eiffel Tower with my new French friends, with baguette in hand, listening to La Vie en Rose from the man playing accordion on the street corner, my heart just absolutely filled to the brim with happiness.

S: What was it that sparked your interest in traveling the world?

B: It was my second trip that did me in. My family went on safari in South Africa, and my mind was just absolutely blown by how different life could look in different places. I grew up in a homogeneous suburban town, so this experience made me realize how much I didn’t know about the world. And ever since, I’ve had an itch to travel!

A giraffe in South Africa.

S: How many countries have you visited and which is your favorite destination? Tell me a bit about it!

B: I’m in number 24 as I write this, headed to number 25 tomorrow! But it’s not about the number of stamps in your passport, it’s about the experiences, the people, and how it all changes you. Because of that I would say that India was my favorite destination so far. It’s the only place that has really blown my mind since that first shock of South Africa. But it’s a hard question, I’ve loved everywhere I’ve ever traveled.

S: Why did you decide to write about your travels?

B: I’ve always been so excited in talking about my travels that it seemed a natural extension of my greatest passion. I love to travel, but I love even more that I get to share the world with people and inspire them to travel more too!

S: I see that you travel alone often. What’s that like?

B: Honestly, there’s nothing more liberating. It seems intimidating, especially if you come from a place where it’s uncommon. It’s such an important experience, it teaches you about yourself, it forces you to be independent, and it lets you experience each place without the influence of fellow travelers and the agendas, emotions, and opinions they inevitably bring with them. Everyone should absolutely try solo travel!

S: Is it difficult to keep up with your adventures financially?

B: It’s such an awkward question (but I get it all the time!). It’s like asking whether it’s difficult to keep up with your social life or your shoe obsession financially. When something is a priority to you, you just put your energy towards making it happen. Cut corners here, save money there, do whatever it takes to get where you want.

 Ready to go to Dubai?

S: Traveling opens up a world of opportunities. In what ways has it changed your life?

B: I actually wrote a post about this when I hit my 20 country milemarker. But to try to summarize and add what I’ve learned since then, I would say that travel has expanded my horizons. It has taught me how life can look so vastly different across the world, yet we are all so similar because we’re all just trying to find love, happiness, and success, even if the manifestation of that central truth varies. It has also taught me to appreciate the beautiful cultures, people, cities, and scenery around the world, while being so proud of my own country, city, family, and life because it is uniquely my own.

S: Do you have any advice on adventurers looking to make travel a big part of their own lives?

B: Travel is so important, and I think that it’s a sign of an intelligent person if she wants to travel. Start with the destinations within your reach, and set up a plan for how to visit those further away. I have been dying to get to Australia, but it’s far and it’s expensive. So I’m doing Central America now because it’s within reach, and I will get to Aussie soon enough. Remember, you don’t have to travel far for the travel to have an impact.